Today's News

Vancouver, BC, February 22, 2017--(T-Net)--The BC Provincial Government announced that BC Stats' latest figures confirm jobs and wages in B.C's technology sector have broken a new record as B.C.'s technology industry continues to flourish.

BC Stats' Profile of the British Columbia Technology Sector: 2016 Edition shows B.C.'s technology sector remains a top provincial performer; employing 101,700 people earning a weekly average salary of $1,590 - 75% higher than the average wage in B.C., and higher than the Canadian technology sector average of $1,480/week.

B.C. also led the country in terms of job growth. Employment in the tech sector rose 2.9%, surpassing B.C.'s overall employment growth of 2.5% and national tech sector employment growth of 1.1%.

The sector now employs approximately 4.9% of B.C.'s workforce and is the third-largest tech workforce in Canada.

B.C.'s technology sector employs more people than the mining, oil and gas, and forestry sectors combined.

The new numbers, based on data ending December 2015, highlight the growing importance of B.C.'s technology industry to the overall economy.

Amrik Virk, Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services

“For the fifth year in a row, B.C. has seen significant growth in its diverse technology industry. We have more technology companies than ever, with more technology workers, earning higher wages than the Canadian technology sector average. Our #BCTECH Strategy is further creating the conditions that are helping the sector continue to grow and thrive.” said Amrik Virk, Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services.

Quick Facts:

B.C.'s tech sector employment eclipsed 100,000 for the first time in 2015, rising 2.9% to 101,780.

Gross wages and salaries in the tech sector also hit a new high for the fifth consecutive year, climbing 4.5% to over $8.4 billion.

B.C. has seen a 1.9% rise in the number of new technology companies with employees in 2015, growing to over 9,900 businesses. B.C. is home to 14% of Canada's tech businesses.

The tech sector produced approximately $26.3 billion in revenue in 2015, a rise of 5%.

In 2015, the technology sector added $14.1 billion to B.C.'s GDP; contributing more than 11% of Canada's tech total.

B.C.'s tech commodity exports increased by 20.4% to just under $1.4 billion, representing 3.8% of the province's overall exports.